Pop

12/10 - 12/16

This week, I have chosen to dive into Pop music. I have a growing appreciation for Pop music because I feel I have misunderstood it for so long. I think the casual listening of Pop music is very dangerous to the genre because it encourages the belief that the genre is oversaturated with similar sounds. We all know the current face of Pop, Taylor Swift. I believe that she has influenced a large portion of Pop stars to follow her sound and create similar music. This is a common phenomenon in all genres of music, but the innately repetitive nature of Pop music will make the market feel oversaturated much quicker.

I have decided to look at Pop music and figure out what I like about it. The bass lines and the 'loud empty space' really excite me. The bass lines can be reminiscent of funk songs, and I love funk. I have even been teaching myself how to play the electric bass, so bass is definitely a way to catch my ear. I was intrigued by how prominent the bass lines were in Pop songs because it wasn't something I associated with the genre. I also love the 'loud empty spaces' which is much harder to explain. Pop does a great job of making the quiet spaces in their songs feel loud and full. The space in between the notes holds the energy, and the notes themselves release it. It's an amazing feeling once you're tapped into it and it reminds me of Disco music. The high energy and higher-pitched synths mixed with the deep booming bass lines make Pop music almost hypnotic. I can't help but want to dance when those two elements are at play.

My newfound appreciation of Pop music led me to start my campaign 'Normalize Pop 2024' (you can read more about that here). I made the playlist below to accompany it. It showcases Pop songs that embody both dirty bass lines and dreamy synths to exemplify exactly what I'm referencing. There is also a selection of older pop songs to serve as a sample of Pop's history. I hope that this opens your eyes to a new side of Pop and maybe helped you find a new song or two. Happy listening!